Continuing its thought leadership in sustainability and design, Autodesk organised a panel discussion on ‘Technology for Sustainability: Designing for Future’, as part of the Autodesk University, in New Delhi. The panel of eminent speakers from industry included Mr Ramyo Dey, General Manager (Planning & Design); Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL); Aneesh Kadyan, Executive Director – Operations, GWS, CBRE; Prisca Flattot, Technical Director, Systra; Mr. Nirup Jayanth, Country Head, Jurong Consultants India Pvt. Ltd.; and moderated by Jayashree Kini-Mendes, Editor, Construction Week India, Manufacturing Today. The panel discussion aimed at engaging relevant thought leaders in a fruitful discussion on challenges, opportunities, needs and capabilities to create a viable eco system to disrupt the conventional practices and adopt green buildings through 3D technology.
The panel discussion highlighted that India is a leader in adopting sustainability in industries, buildings and mass transit systems. The panel had cited examples like The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation which became the First Metro Rail and Rail based system in the world to get carbon Credits for reducing Green House Gas Emissions. It reduced pollution levels in the city by 6.3 lakh tons every year thus helping in reducing global warming. The panelists concurred that there is a push in adopting technology for building sustainable and smart infrastructure in India, but the need is to scale up these efforts. Although businesses are focusing on retrofitting or upgrading their built-environment, the focus should increase on building a sustainable infrastructure at design stage through technology. It also discussed that there has been an evolution in construction of buildings. In comparison to the traditional ways, developers now use technology at planning stage to include sustainability in their design outcomes. Further, demands are rising in using 3D technologies like BIM for large scale infrastructure projects, as it gives the option of cost benefit analysis to the end-user.
Priya Balijepalli, Manager, Autodesk Sustainability and Foundation stated “India holds a huge potential for green building technology and is estimated to be USD 35-50 billion by 2020. Tapping this potential would require Inclusion of technology at the design stage which will help save costs and enable better efficiency in driving the projects. We at Autodesk are committed to ensuring sustainability weaved in right at a design stage to ensure the sector works more efficiently whilst increasing productivity”.
Green movement in India has already started and is picking up across sectors. There is a scope for integrating sustainability in real estate infrastructure, there are green railway stations which have been built and a number of them coming up; government projects like Smart Cities Mission, will be the drivers for future sustainable infrastructure. There is a market potential for adoption of technology and further awareness, benefits and incentives will be the driving force in adopting technology for building sustainable infrastructure in India.
